A Journey of Reiki
Chapter Twelve

-Sybis-

The ride back to T’uuk was awkward, heavy, and anxious to say the least. Though I made small talk with Uvesilin whenever I could, Belrae rarely spoke, and seldom spoke directly to me. I didn’t push her, she still seemed angry and I let her have her space. She would speak to me if she was ready.

The day came when she was ready, and that day was the day we returned to T’uuk. We had just come to a stop outside their cabin, I had tied my horse and the first words she spoke to me were spoken as I pulled my saddle off.

“Sybis, attention.” I turned to Belrae, surprised at the very fact she was speaking to me. She stepped across a large expanse of snow and gestured for me to join her on the field she had in front of her. I scrunched my face and set my saddle on the shelf in the miniature stables. I walked towards her, and her face showed no emotion. That was my first warning. The second was her stance, she had her foot slightly forward, her hands had a large space between them. She was in a fighting pose, she was preparing. I walked slower, keeping eye contact with her. I had a feeling I was about to receive my punishment.

“Come forward.” She spoke and her voice commanded obedience. I did, fingering my ring of warmth nervously as I pulled my Reiki closer to me, as close to my body as I could. Her face distorted suddenly, and her entire form blurred forward. The impact to my ribs was so sudden and powerful, the wind rushed from me and I hit the ground, no ground covered.

“Get up,” Belrae ordered. I heard running footsteps behind me. Uvesilin’s voice called.

“Enough Bel, he’s had enough!”

”Silence!” Belrae roared, magic exploding with her voice. Silence ensued, not even the birds sang, the wind seemed to silence, the sun quieted, the horses still.

I laid down, my head spinning, my body throbbing. Belrae leaned over me, her eyes violent, her hair floating around her from the raw Reiki she held around her. I felt cold, her power contesting mine, but I had no chance against her strength and I knew it, but I still tried resisting, pulling forth any power I had to defend myself.

“Don’t you dare oppose me, Sybis Glacia!” She edged more power into her very aura, and my Reiki dispersed under my very will, leaving me alone in a very cold world, a very real fate. Her eyes glued to mine, and I couldn’t look away, I didn’t try.

“You will never, ever oppose me. You will listen to me, Sybis Glacia, my apprentice, or I will be the very being that kills you, do you understand?” Cold terror surrendered my lungs, but I nodded. She pressed her hand against my shoulder, and it burned as she pressed me further into the ground. I hissed between my teeth, trying desperately to get away.

And then it was all over, she was up, the pain was away and I felt my own Reiki return. I leaned up on my elbow, in confusion, as I looked at Belrae walking in circles, pacing. And then she stopped and looked right at me.

“Sybis, I have a task for you.” I swallowed hard but nodded. “You will complete the dungeon.” Uvesilin, who appeared beside me, looked horrified.

“Bel you can’t--”

“Uvesilin, he is my apprentice, I will tell him what to do. Stay out of it.” The sister’s shared a glare for a moment, but Uvesilin backed off.

“You will complete the dungeon,” Belrae continued, “And you will complete it before we continue our training.

“If I don’t finish it?”

“Then we are no longer pupils.” I gulped again. No chance at getting stronger, I would have to finish without a magic master or replace another who was willing to train me.

Or I could complete the dungeon.

“You have a week. Good luck.” She turned on a heel and walked back to her cabin, and Uvesilin reluctantly followed, giving me an apologetic look the entire way, her eyes conveying empathy as she hurried to catch up to her angry sister.

Hopelessness struck me for a moment, but only for a moment. The dungeon was ever-changing, it never remained the same, so I had no way to train or prepare for it, I had to go in knowing I knew nothing, and had no way of learning it.

That didn’t stop me from replaceing the dungeon’s entrance, replaceing the doors as well as ignoring the guard in front of it. I was lifeless, behind my eyes. Something inside of me knew I had to beat this dungeon, knew I had to win no matter the cost. Belrae was more than just my mentor, she was my friend. I would be damned if I lost either. I marched through, ignoring the warnings, ignoring the hazards. I gripped my sword and I found myself in front of the first door, and I pushed on.

The dungeon awaited.

***

-Belrae-

It had been nearly seven days when I had told Sybis he had to run the dungeon.

It had been nearly seven days since I had last seen Sybis, either.

Uvesilin reminded me constantly that he was ok, but as the days grew longer my worry became never-ending. My anger had left me alone, and realization of his true intentions dawned, breaking my cycle of unnecessary hatred towards Sybis. I had sent him to his death, I was sure of it.

“I killed him, Uvesilin.”

“No Bel, he will be ok.”

“He entered the dungeons, Uvesilin. Very few people in the world have ever beaten a dungeon. You know this.” Uvesilin took a step closer to me from where I sat at the table and gripped my shoulder supportively.

“Sybis is like no other we’ve ever seen. You know this.” She was right, but the irrational part of my brain refused to believe it, refused to acknowledge what she spoke of.

“What if he doesn’t come back?”

“He will… I have faith in him, Bel. You should too.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in him, because I did, but my anger had foolishly gotten the better of me. He had only disobeyed me because he didn’t want me to go, and he had won against all the odds that were held towards him. He had won. Had that not been punishment enough?

I still held his golden robes, those ones you get as the Champion. I didn’t want to give them to him because I knew it would only hurt. I could see the pain in his eyes. The pain in his features with every movement. It was far more than physical. It was mental, emotional. It struck like a knife’s edge against the wind, splitting it.

“I’m a monster, Uvesilin.”

“No, you were angry.” She was always honest with me, and I loved her for it.

Suddenly a shout exploded through the town.

“The Catacombs! The Catacombs! They’re falling!” Me and Uvesilin looked at each other for a brief second before we bolted outside, watching Elves flock to the Catacombs outside of town.

“Oh God no.” I ran faster than ever before. I backed it with wind, and quickly passed everyone else, Uvesilin included. I ran hard, my lungs screaming for release. The buildings of town whipped by me, soon passed by and replaced with trees, which surrounded me in a blur as I sped by them. I heard them behind me, running to keep up. I felt the ground tremble violently, and almost lost my footing.

“What in the hell…” I muttered, hoping that Sybis was ok. That’s all I wanted. All I prayed for.

The Catacombs came into view, and the guards that were stationed around it had stepped back nearly fifty feet, spears ready for anything that could come out of the tunnels. I came to a screeching halt beside one of them, the one usually in charge, and aged Dwarf by the name of Glaxton. Enlori was there too.

“What the hell is going on?” Glaxton ignored me, muttering to himself, but Enlori answered.

“The monsters, they’re coming.”

“Are you sure?”

“Nothing else makes sense.”

“Goddamnit.” I readied my magic. If the monsters were coming, I had little doubt Sybis was dead. I would weep after. Even though I told myself this, I couldn’t stop the tears.

Another tremble. The entire outside of the Catacombs shook violently, and I heard another step being taken, it sounded closer.

“Ready yourselves!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. The other Elves had finally surrounded us, and they all readied magic or weaponry of their own. This would be one hell of a battle, if it was as big as it sounded.

Another tremble. The doors shook, parting slightly. I saw a bright light from inside.

Then silence.

We all gripped our weapons. Tense.

Sweat dripped off my brow.

Uvesilin swore under her breath.

It was known that the dungeons could get overrun, but usually it never happened. Not here. Not in hundreds of years. But the last time it happened, T’uuk had to be rebuilt.

Completely.

The doors rocked open, and out stepped a Snow Elf.

They were tall, handsome, and familiar. White armor shined under a midnight-black cloak, the collar raised to a hood that was drawn over their head. A sword of silver hung at their hip, and around their neck rested an amulet that hummed with energy.

Sybis Glacia looked up, and his eyes had changed. They were white, clear white. No color filled them.

I took a hesitant step forward.

“Sybis?” I asked, confused and concerned. He looked… different. Older. Brave. He smiled, and started walking towards me.

“Belrae.” Is all he said.

I looked him up and down, confused beyond belief. He looked entirely different than when he had left a week before. What had happened inside that dungeon? I reached out and grabbed his hand.

I stopped. A deep, cool power resided within him. His reiki, I checked it.

It was bigger than mine. And Uvesilin’s. Maybe even combined.

“By the Gods Sybis what happened?” He looked at me, and his pupiless eyes drove a bit of fear into me. He grabbed his sword, and unhooked it, sheath and all. He handed it to me.

“I will not tell you. But Belrae, I want to make a promise to myself. But I want you to hear it.”

“What’s the promise, Sybis?” He smiled, and looked up at the sky.

“I will never kill another person, so long as I live.” With that final sentence he walked away, leaving his sword in my hands. I watched him leave, and everyone that stood before the Catacombs parted for him. He stopped before he crested the group, and turned.

“Belrae.”

“Yes?”

“Could you move?” I frowned at him, but nodded, I took a few steps to the side. “No,” He chastised, “Move back here with the rest of them.” I was confused to the point where I simply didn’t argue. I walked back to the group, and he raised his hand, the one bearing his Mark.

“Perish.” Is all he muttered before a concussive blast of wind so powerful it pushed us all back released from his hand. I watched as the strike of wind hit the Catacombs with a deafening crack, and sent what was above ground flying. The snow exploded around it, leaving a large cloud blocking everything from view. We all coughed, the dust was ridiculous. Once it had settled, we all saw what he had done.

The Catacombs? Ashes.